1. On 1 1⁄2 yd. (1.4 m) of size 0 beading thread, pick up 32 color A 15/0 seed beads. Tie the beads into a ring with a square knot (How-tos), leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail, and sew through the first A again (figure 1, a–b).

2. Pick up two As, a color B 15/0 seed bead, two As, a B, six As, a B, and two As. Sew back through the first B and two As picked up in this step to form a loop, and continue through the next two As in the original ring (b–c).

3. Pick up two As, a B, and two As, and sew through the last B picked up in the previous step. Pick up six As, a B, and two As, and sew back through the first B and two As picked up in this step. Continue through the next two As in the original ring (c–d).

4. Repeat step 3 13 more times for a total of 15 loops (d–e).

Figure 2

5. Join the first and last loops as follows:
Pick up two As, a B, and two As, and sew through the last B picked up in the last loop (figure 2, a–b).
Pick up six As, and sew through the second B picked up in the first loop (b–c).
Pick up two As, and sew through the first B and two As picked up in this step.
Sew through the next two As in the original ring (c–d), and continue through the beadwork to exit the 10th bead in a loop (d–e).

Photo a

Photo b

6. Pick up a B, and sew through the third and fourth As in the six-bead group at the tip of the next loop. Repeat this stitch to complete the round, and snug up the beads to form a cup. Insert a 15 x 20 mm oval bead into the cup, and retrace the thread path to secure the cup around the bead. Align the cup so that your needle is exiting a B adjacent to the hole in the bead (photo a).

7. Pick up three As, sew back through the first two As, and continue through the B your thread exited at the start of this step, the next two As, and the following B along the edge of the cup (photo b). This completes the first spoke.

8. Repeat step 7 15 more times for a total of 16 spokes, and then sew through the beadwork to exit the last A of the first spoke. Make sure this spoke is adjacent to the hole in the bead.

Photo c

Photo d

9. Close up the bezel as follows:

Without picking up a bead, sew through the last A in the next two spokes (photo c).

Pick up an A, and sew through the last A in the next spoke (photo d). Repeat this stitch three times.

Sew through the last A in the next four spokes without picking up a bead.

Photo e

Pick up an A, and sew through the last A in the next spoke. Repeat this stitch three more times.
Sew through the last A in the next two spokes without picking up a bead (photo e). Retrace the thread path through all the beads in this step, using a firm tension to snug up the beads. End the working thread and tail.

10. Make a total of four caged beads.

Assembly

1. On 2 ft. (61 cm) of size D beading thread, pick up eight As and half of the clasp. Tie the beads into a ring with a square knot, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Retrace the thread path through the ring, and exit any A.

2. Pick up a 10/0 seed bead, an 8 mm bead cap (narrow end first), an 8 mm round bead, a bead cap (wide end first), a 10/0, and a caged bead. Pick up this pattern three more times, and then pick up a bead cap (narrow end first), an 8 mm round bead, a bead cap (wide end first), a 10/0, eight As, and the other half of the clasp. Sew back through the last 10/0, and retrace the thread path through the entire strand. End the working thread and tail.